Norsk filminstitutt

When you are the first one to be open, who are you going to kiss?  When you start to fall in love but don't know anyone who is gay like you? 

Through three years, we follow the lives of four teenagers who are the first ones to be openly gay in their schools. They are 12 and 13 years old when their stories begin. Will things change for the better? 

Hello World is a coming-of-age story told by four gay kids, becoming teenagers. What do teenagers experience the first years after they have revealed their secret?  


'All my friends in class are hetero. This is Holmestrand. It's a farmer's town. People aren't gay here', says Viktor.   

Viktor (12) is from a little town outside Oslo. Victor's older brother likes to joke about Viktor being gay. Victor doesn't think it's funny. He struggles to be more like everyone else and make friends among the boys. And how do you find a boyfriend when you're the only gay in town? Viktor loves to play handball; one day he is accused of looking at the dick of one of his teammates in the shower, and his world falls apart.   

Runa (12) feels that the other girls gossip and talk behind her back, but then she starts a rock-band with four other girls. Runa loves to write gay love-songs and play the guitar. When Runa decided to be more open, her mother received an email from the principal. The school management says they need time to prepare the other pupils and want Runa to wait. But Runa needs to tell the world who she is. Then Runa falls in love.   

Joachim (14) is fabulous doing makeup and gets lots of positive feedback, but he also receives hateful comments. It made Joachim very sad when his best friend turned his back on him because Joachim revealed that he had feelings for him. He comforts himself by listening to Lady Gaga, watching RuPaul's Drag race, and update his blog makeupbyjoachim. Despite having 7000 followers on Instagram, Joachim feels lonely. Then The RuPaul-show is coming to Oslo.   

Dina (13) thinks it's hard to live up to unattainable beauty standards. The tiny, longhaired girls in the class, and herself, the big "lesbian." She becomes more and more depressed but decides to focus on her strong, warm group of friends who loves Dina just the way she is. Dina's story portrays how important a strong community of girls supporting each other turns out to be.  

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2021
Production country:
Norway
Co production country:
Sweden
Release date (national):
2021-06-03
Production company:
Fuglene AS
Co production company:
Bautafilm AB
Financing company:
Norwegian Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
Fritt Ord Foundation
Arts Council Norway
Viken Filmsenter
Producer:
Kari Anne Moe
Gudmundur Gunnarsson
Co producer:
Therese Högberg

Director

  • Kenneth S. Elvebakk

    Kenneth Elvebakk (b. 1966) studied at the University of Oslo, the Norwegian School of Management and Oslo Film and Television Academy, and has experience as both director, producer, writer, photographer and editor. He is primarily known for his documentaries, but has also made several short films and television series. His work includes the award winning documentaries Ballet Boys (2014), The Secret Club (2003) and 3269 Daisy (2007). He has also received the Norwegian television award 'Gullruten' for the TV-series Hullabaloo (2006).  

    Kenneth S. Elvebakk

Awards

2021:
Oslo Pix
Audience Award
2021:
TIFF Junior - Tromsø International Children's Film Festival
Audience Award
Honorable Mention Feature Length Films
2021:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Special Mention of the Youth Jury
2022:
Providence Children's Film Festival
Special Jury Award Best Feature Documentary Film
2022:
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Nigel Moore Award for Youth Programming
2022:
Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival
Special Award Docs for Youth Section
2022:
Orlando Interational Film Festival
Grand Jury Feature International Documentary Award
2023:
Atlanta DocuFest
Best Foreign Documentary Feature

Festivals

2021:
Oslo Pix
2021:
TIFF Junior - Tromsø International Children's Film Festival
2021:
Nordisk Panorama
2021:
Love & Anarchy - Helsinki International Film Festival
2021:
Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival
2021:
Cinekid
2021:
MIX Copenhagen
2021:
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
2021:
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
2021:
Nordic/Docs
2021:
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
2021:
Merlinka Queer Film Festival
2022:
Children's Film Festival Seattle
2022:
INDI's Film Festival Leeds
2022:
Providence Children's Film Festival
2022:
European Youth Film Festival of Flanders
2022:
Human International Documentary Film Festival
2022:
The Norwegian Documentary Film Festival
2022:
LGBT+ Film Festival Poland
2022:
Lovers Film Festival - Torino LGBTQI Visions
2022:
Kristiansand International Children and Youth Film Festival
2022:
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
2022:
Scandinavian Film Festival Bonn
2022:
Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth
2022:
Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival
2022:
Love is Love LGBTQ+ Film Festival Guangzhou
2022:
Mix México - Diversidad Sexual en Cine y Video
2022:
Transition International Queer & Minorities Film Festival
2022:
Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival
2022:
Orlando Interational Film Festival
2022:
Korea Queer Film Festival
2022:
Queer Film Festival Utrecht
2022:
Vesterås Filmfestival
2022:
Reykjavik International Film Festival
2022:
Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival
2022:
Reel Affirmations - Washington DC's International LGBT Film Festival
2022:
Perlen Queer Film Festival Hannover
2023:
Atlanta DocuFest
2023:
The Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund

Crew

Director:
Kenneth S. Elvebakk
Camera:
Nils Petter Lotherington
Editor:
Simon Carlgren
Alba Lange
Composer:
Henrik Skram
Sound Design:
Håkon Lammetun

Technical information

Genre:
Youth
LGBT
Format:
DCP 4k
Screen ratio:
1:1,85
Colour:
Colour
Length in min's:
88'
Language:
Norwegian
Subtitles:
English

Downloads